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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rest — what's left
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. key — for a lock
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bark — to shout
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rest — what's left
  21. key — in music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. key — the most important part
  24. date — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com